Ways to Save: Tips to Save Money Around the House

At Stretching Your Budget, we are always looking for ways to save money! So, I thought…why not look for ways to save around your house! They can be simple and fun. The key, is to get the whole family involved! As with anything, it’s always easier to do something when you have support, so get creative and find support!

Sticky Notes - place sticky notes at eye level at key locations in your house to remind your family members of the simple things they can do to save money.

Examples:

at light switches to remind others to turn off the lights as they leave the room

near the blinds – shutting the blinds during the day helps decrease the use of the air

by the thermostat – turn the air up (74-76 degrees) during the day to reduce the air continuously running during the day. The house doesn’t need to be cooled while you’re not there!

next to phone charger, hair dryer, etc. – unplugging simple things you aren’t using reduces the use of energy being used.

Change Filters – try changing your air filters and/or furnace filters every 3 months. By keeping them clean, you’re not only reducing the risk of regular maintenance, but it also allows the the unit to run at it’s maximum capacity. This allows for it to run without overworking and using extra energy.

Plan a “No Spend” Day – plan a day where no one in the family spends any money!

Examples:

make your coffee at home and skip buying the specialty coffee on the way

take your lunch to work. Pass on eating out with your co-workers and eat your packed lunch.

plan a family fun night. Let your kids or spouse pick a themed dinner (mexican is always easy and fun in our house). Play board games or watch a movie at home instead of going out!

Treasure Hunt - You be suprised at what kind of treasures you find in your house! This is a good one to get your kids or grandkids involved with!

check the couch – scour for loose change and add it to your money jar (save all your change for something big)!

have a yard sale – not only is it a good time to de-clutter your house, but you can also find valuable items to sell and make money!

revamp – search your garage or basement for furniture that you might not use and find ways to repurpose it. I’m sure there’s a use for it!

Make your own household cleaner – using a simple recipe to create your own daily surface cleaner is a great way to save money, but also to use a product that safe for kids and pets!

Add 4 Tbsp. of baking soda to 1 qt. of warm water in a bowl. Use a sponge or rag to wipe down countertops!

Chinese takeout – our local Chinese restaurant uses plastic divided containers for takeout. I reuse these to take my lunch to work!

Deli meat containers – Hillshire Farm Deli meat comes in a rubbermaid storage container. These are the same containers you buy in the ziploc aisle. Use them for leftovers!

Baby wipes containers – These can be used for many things! See my post here for ideas!

Grocery bags – We reuse plastic grocery bags in multiple ways. You can use them as trash bags for small trash cans or for dirty diapers instead of buying the expensive small bags

Plastic Milk Jug – cut the top off and use it as a scoop (dog food, cat litter, etc..). Or, use it to water your plants!

Yogurt containers – if you have kids these are perfect for water color or painting.

Save on Laundry – if you’re like us, we do a lot of laundry, doing just a few things really adds up.

wash your clothes in cold water. This saves from using energy to heat the water. Plus, this reduces the risk of shrinking your clothes!

dry your clothes for the first 10 minutes, then hang them up to dry.

Think before you buy – don’t make any big purchases without waiting (challennge yourself to wait 30 days). Think on it, research it, and talk it over with someone. You will find that your urge to buy on impulse will pass. Or, you might even find it on a better deal!

Swap lights – Find the most used lights in your house and swap the bulbs out for high efficient bulbs.

One item that I do is unplug items not in use. You would be amazed how much electricity you use for phone chargers, toasters, etc that are just plugged in. Did you know that even an item not being used, yet plugged in uses electricity. Try it and see the difference in your bill

Great tips, we also buy season passes to area parks and go there for afternoons with the kids. They allow snack packs and sandwiches and stuff, so we stay away from spending ANY money… it helps us a lot

If you have ceiling fans, don’t forget to switch the little button to change the direction of the blades turning in summer and winter. It works and helps spread the warmth or cool depending on the season. I also use the fans alot more than the airco

Love these tips! I’m going to go check the couch right now to see if I can find some change We love saving up our change and then making a deposit to our savings when the jar fills up. I also love your suggestion of having a yard sale!

For the most part I do all of these. Except for sticky notes, they would just be fluttered all over the house by my kids, haha. I save all the change in the house to buy my husband a Christmas present, I’m a sahm, so that way it kinda’ve feels like my own money. One year we used our change to buy a swimming pool , that was on sale! It really does add up.

I’m working on my husband to eat leftovers and cut down on cleaning products. Vinegar (I buy white vinegar by the gallon),baking soda and plain water can do almost anything. Often store-bought cleaners leave a film that attracts dirt, so that you buy the same cleaning product over and over more frequently

Great tips! I have a horrible habit of leaving lights on and/or not unplugging appliances. When you’re on a budget, like we are, every money saved helps! I like the post it idea! Need to implement it! Thanks for sharing!